


go with peace and love

by cjmasim



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Turned Into a Ghost, Community: hp_creatures, Gen, Ghost Fred Weasley, Ghosts, HP Creature Fest 2020 - Quarantine Creature Comeback, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26768035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjmasim/pseuds/cjmasim
Summary: "We're going to walk away now, slowly, and give you one last chance to join us. If you choose not to, then you'll return to the realm of the living once you can no longer see us, and that is where you will remain for eternity."Fred nods, standing firm in his decision. He's coming home to George, and for the foreseeable future, that's all he needs.-Or: Fred refuses to leave George all alone, so he becomes a ghost.
Relationships: Fred Weasley & George Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46
Collections: Creature Fest 2020 - Quarantine Creature Comeback





	go with peace and love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the HP Creature Fest 2020, based on the prompt "After the Battle of Hogwarts, there's a new Hogwarts ghost. Fred hangs around, cheerfully refusing to move on without George (not for many, many years mind you). He is the most beloved ghost, and a terrible trickster, giving Peeves a run for his money. He can give really good big brotherly advice. He's also a good listener to older, traumatized students who may remember him." When I first got into fic 10 years ago, Fred and George were my favorites to read and write about, and it's been many years since I've revisited them, so writing this was really special. Fair warning that I reread Fred's death scene to write the beginning, but it gets less angsty as it progresses.
> 
> Also, please heed the warning for Major Character Death. This is the sort of death that involves coming back as a ghost, and there's no graphic depiction of it. 
> 
> The title comes from If I Die Young by The Band Perry. And of course, thank you to my beta and the mods for running the fest!
> 
> A playlist and cover art can be found [here](https://cjmasim.tumblr.com/post/633474543302950913/lesbianlilyevans-fic-33-go-with-peace-and).

The Quidditch pitch is especially misty today. Fred can hardly see anything; surely, it isn't safe to practice in these conditions, and Wood's already graduated. He starts to wonder why they're even bothering to practice before he realizes he's not even wearing his Quidditch robes. No one else is there, either, and he isn't even carrying a broom.

Something is wrong, and with this realization, the memories come rushing back.

He's 20 years old and hasn't been back to Hogwarts since he escaped with George - save for today, the battle, the reason they all came back. Why is he on the Quidditch pitch? Where are the others?

He remembers Percy making a joke, shooting Stunning Spells at the Death Eater, a loud noise, and a searing pain throughout his body, and beyond that - nothing. He has no idea what happened or how he got to the Quidditch pitch. He looks down at his body, but everything looks just as it should.

A figure appears out of the mist before he can even think to start walking. Two figures, actually, he realizes as they get closer.

Two figures who Fred doesn't remember seeing in his life outside of photographs, and who have most definitely been dead for several years.

"Yes, we're dead," one of them says, as if reading Fred's mind. He's not sure which one is Fabian and which one is Gideon, but he recognizes his late uncles. They look exactly the same as they did in their youth.

"Am I dead?" Fred asks before his mind can even think it. The last thing he remembers is pain, and he's pretty sure he would know if his uncles had become ghosts when they died. He's not sure there's any other conclusion to reach.

"Yes," the other replies. "Far too soon, I'm afraid. But you died fighting a noble cause, and the ones you leave behind will always be proud of you."

 _George_. He can't be dead if George is still alive. He can't be. Losing George would ruin Fred, and he knows it goes both ways.

"George is alive, then?" He doesn't want to know the answer - isn't even sure which would be worse, for them to die too young together or be separated forever - but he has to know.

His uncles nod, confirming his fear.

"The others you were with are fine, too. You took the worst of the explosion," one of them says.

"The battle is coming to an end," the other adds. "George will make it through."

"I can't leave him," Fred says, shaking his head. "I refuse. You guys should understand."

They look at each other, communicating silently as he and George have learned to do.

"Please understand, Fred, that you only have two options," one of them says. "You can come with us to what lies beyond, where you'll wait for George and the rest of your loved ones to join you. You could choose an eternity of rest."

"Or I could refuse and come back as a ghost," Fred finishes. "I'll do that, then."

"Becoming a ghost is permanent," he's warned. "Are you absolutely sure that this is what you want?"

He thinks of the promise of seeing all of his loved ones again. He'd be able to see George, of course, but Fred hopes to all that is holy that George won't be dead for the better part of a century, anyway. He'd be able to see his mum and dad sooner, most likely, but no one will be the same.

"I can't just sit on a cloud relaxing all day while my family's lives are torn apart by grief," Fred says.

"If that's your choice, then so be it," one of the twins nods. "We're going to walk away now, slowly, and give you one last chance to join us. If you choose not to, then you'll return to the realm of the living once you can no longer see us, and that is where you will remain for eternity."

Fred nods, standing firm in his decision. He's coming home to George, and for the foreseeable future, that's all he needs.

His uncles fade out of sight, and the mist gets brighter and brighter until Fred has to shut his eyes, and the next thing he knows, he's back in the ruins of the corridor.

-

Fred isn't sure how much time has passed, but his body seems to have been moved. He hopes that means the battle is over, and more than anything, he hopes no one else died.

It's strange to think that he's dead. He looks down at himself, and even though he knows he'll be a ghost now, it doesn't stop the rush of panic when he sees that he's pale and translucent, almost like he's wearing an invisibility cloak that's no longer working properly. He tries to take a step, but his leg doesn't move quite as it should.

He's going to have to float, he realizes, and he has no idea how.

He wills himself to concentrate and tries to imagine himself floating, and it takes several minutes, but he does manage to get off the ground. Moving ahead is more straightforward; all he has to do is think about where he wants to go and he finds himself heading there.

Fred follows the sound of voices, and as the voices get louder, he can start to pick out bits of what they're saying. It's enough for him to piece together the fact that Voldemort is gone, and that's enough to propel him to rush forward to try to find his family.

He's in the Great Hall now, and he's sure everyone is staring, but he has eyes only for the group at the end crying over his body. He stops mid-air once he sees it, and if he were still alive, he'd probably feel his heartbeat picking up, and maybe he'd even vomit. All he can do is stare.

It's George who comes up to him first.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me; this is some joke, isn't it?"

Fred shakes his head. He's pretty sure it worked, anyway. "I couldn't leave you," he says, not quite sure what else to say. George has already been crying, but the tears seem to be flowing faster now. He wants to reach out and hug his brother, but he knows all it would do is make him cold.

"How could you - what about -" It's hard to make out the words, but Fred floats a little bit closer and stays patient. "You can't go back, right? To the afterlife?"

Despite what his uncles had said, Fred isn't so sure that his new state of being is permanent. Everything can be undone. From the looks of it, Voldemort is dead, and Harry is still alive. Anything is possible.

"I'll figure that out," Fred says. "We have plenty of time, right? Besides, what good is the afterlife if you're not in it with me? And I don't mean you should've died."

George nods, opening his mouth as if to speak, but he says nothing. Fred knows it'll take time, that his death was one terrible shock and him coming back as a ghost must've been another one. The rest of the family is starting to approach him, and the expressions on their faces are much like the one on George's. Shock, despair, even a tinge of relief on Percy's face.

For the most part, their reactions are much the same - _oh, Fred, why would you give up your chance at the afterlife, are you sure this is what you want, it's so good to see you, oh but why?_ It's Percy who finally says he's glad to see Fred, no strings attached, and that he's sorry, though of course Fred assures him it wasn't his fault.

Once they've all gotten to speak to him, George comes back over and asks to have a moment alone.

"As alone as it can get in here, sure," Fred says with a grin. It's neither the time nor the place for humor, but he figures it doesn't hurt to be a little bit lighter.

George doesn't grin, but he's more put together than he had been, so it's a start. "It's too late to go back, isn't it?"

"It is," Fred says. "I wouldn't go back anyway."

"You really meant it, then," George says. Fred nods in response. "That you wouldn't leave me alone. I guess you have a point; I don't know what I'd do without you, but that doesn't mean -"

"It's okay," Fred cuts him off. "Really. I died so fast I hardly felt a thing, and I woke up on the Quidditch pitch. Got to meet Uncle Fabian and Uncle Gideon, I guess. I don't know if they were really them or something my mind made up. Maybe a reaper of death come to take me over. Either way, they explained what had happened, told me you were alive and you and the others would live, and told me I could stay or leave with them. So I stayed."

"And this is definitely what you want," George says.

It's not a question, but Fred answers it anyway. "I want to be with you, and Mum and Dad, and all our siblings, and Lee and Angelina and everyone. I don't want to be alone."

"But what about when I die? When all the others die?"

"I'll cross over," Fred says. "There has to be a way."

"And if there's not?"

"I don't know, George. I'll figure it out. I'll be around as long as you're alive, and it'd better be a good long century. Just - don't you feel like you need to go and become a ghost too. This is my decision, and I'll figure out how to get out of it."

"Fine," George nods. "If you can't figure it out, I'll stay with you."

"George -"

"I accepted your decision, so you can do me a favor and accept mine, too, dear brother," George says, the corner of his mouth twitching just a little. It's the closest he's gotten to a smile since Fred died, he's sure, and it's enough to know he made the right decision.

"Let's do this, then."

-

The rest of the school year is canceled, with McGonagall determining that all students are to repeat the year so that they can learn the material properly. The students are free to go home, but some have stayed at Hogwarts to help rebuild. Ginny is one of them, and naturally, the rest of the family joins her.

"We made a lot of this mess; it's our job to clean it," Ron reasons.

Fred, being a ghost and all, can't exactly help with the cleaning and spellwork. He tags along for moral support, though, and it isn't long before McGonagall comes up to have a chat with him.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Weasley," she greets him. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened." His death, of course, though he can hardly blame everyone who skirts around mentioning it when his very presence implies that he wasn't ready to accept it.

"It's good to be here, though I wish the circumstances were far different," he replies. It occurs to him then that he hasn't actually seen McGonagall since he and George flew away from the school, and he grins at the memory. "The last time you saw me was one of my finest moments, don't you agree?"

She chuckles and shakes her head, and it's enough for Fred to be sure she privately agrees. "I presume you're here because you couldn't bear to leave your twin behind."

Fred nods. "That's correct."

"I've lived a long life, and most of it has been spent in this castle," she continues. "I've met many ghosts, both in and out of the castle, and I've never known one to move on."

"I've never heard of one older than the Founders, though," Fred counters. "Certainly not one from any more than a few millennia ago at most. What happened to them? I'm sure there's a way to do it, and you leave out the crucial detail that most ghosts are not trying to move on. I don't intend to stay on this Earth forever."

"You're very stubborn; I'll give you that," McGonagall replies. "I'll even admit that I wouldn't put it past you to be the first ghost to figure out how to move on. But I do hope you understand that no matter how much you want to or how hard you work, you may still find that you come up short."

Fred hasn't let himself think about what might happen if he fails, but he knows that she's right. "I have a whole lifetime ahead of me to get used to that, I suppose."

"I wish you the best of luck," she says, looking right into his eyes so that he knows she means it. "With that said, have you considered what you're going to spend your days doing?"

"Is this a rehash of our career meeting?" Fred laughs.

McGonagall quirks up her lips and raises an eyebrow, her patented way of letting students know she finds their jokes funny while maintaining her façade of disapproval. Fred has never been fooled by it.

"Your business venture has been wildly successful, so I've seen, but I'm not sure how much you'll be able to do in your current state. At the very least, I imagine you'll need to learn to use your new form to its fullest potential."

Indeed, Fred hasn't quite figured out how to do simple things like open doors and pick up objects, but the thought of it impacting his career hadn't crossed his mind yet. He can't exactly help out with testing products, stocking shelves, or checking customers out if he can't even hold a corporeal object. How soon would he be able to learn, anyway? And how _would_ he learn? He managed to figure out basic movement on his own, but he's made no progress in anything else so far.

"You're always welcome to come back to Hogwarts," McGonagall adds. "You could learn a lot from the other ghosts, I'm sure, and this year will be unlike any other. If you'd like to take on a more official position than that of being a resident ghost, I would help you out. The students could surely use a listening ear, and the professors could certainly use an assistant."

It's a very kind offer, and Fred says as much. "That means a lot, thank you. I don't think I can be an assistant before I learn how to pick up objects, but - I'll give it some thought."

McGonagall nods. "Of course. And you'd be surprised how many professors could benefit from having someone else on hand to help explain the more difficult concepts, especially someone young enough to actually remember learning them."

She does have a point; Fred can think of a great many professors who could have used such an assistant, particularly in DADA.

"For now, though, I think you could help direct traffic and tell people what to do. Simple enough, right?"

Fred grins. "Oh yes, you know how much I love telling people what to do."

-

He keeps going back with George to the apartment above the shop. There's no real reason to; he doesn't need to eat or sleep, but he's not sure what else to do. Lurking around the castle all night would be weird enough with all the students there and the walls intact, never mind without.

They've been doing their best to act like everything is normal, but it's hard to pretend when Fred spends dinner hovering near the table while George eats. He hasn't mastered the art of sitting down quite yet, and he's not sure he ever saw a ghost sit down in his time at Hogwarts, so he wonders if he ever will.

"Do you think I should go to Hogwarts this year?" Fred barely even thinks before he says it, but there's no taking it back now.

George takes a moment to consider. "You don't mean as a student, do you?"

"No, no, of course not," Fred laughs. "What's the point of that when I'm already dead? Minnie actually offered to take me on as an assistant of sorts, and a listening ear for the students. It might be nice to have something to do, you know? Maybe I'll come back to the shop later on, but I can't do anything here until I figure out to move things."

"The ghosts there could teach you, huh?" George sighs. "I guess it makes sense. Maybe it'll be good for both of us, anyway."

"To have a little distance?" Fred asks, and George nods.

"I know I haven't truly lost you, but you are… you know, dead, and I need to accept that. I know you came back to spare us all the grief, but even if I still have you, I can't just pretend everything is the same. And it'll be much easier to learn to be a little more independent if I know you're just a Floo call away."

"You're right," Fred says. "You need to grieve, and I guess everyone does. I need to learn how to be a ghost."

"And it doesn't have to be temporary," George adds. "If you find you enjoy it and don't want to come back to the shop, or if it turns out moving objects drains a lot of energy or something, I can manage on my own. Maybe Ron can help out when he graduates, not like he has any real career plans."

"Didn't Percy say he was resigning right before I - you know - maybe he'd even help out?"

They dissolve into laughter at the very suggestion of Percy working in the joke shop. It'll never happen, but it's good to move onto something lighter, and Fred resolves to write back to McGonagall once George goes to bed for the night. He's going back to Hogwarts.

-

Fred is pretty sure that when McGonagall suggested he ask the Hogwarts ghosts to help him learn how to use his new form, she'd meant for him to talk to Nearly Headless Nick or Professor Binns. He doesn't have anything against Nick, but Fred's favorite ghost has always been Peeves, so he wastes no time in seeking his assistance.

"I won't help you if you call me a ghost," Peeves laughs as he speeds away from him. Fred can barely manage to keep up, but eventually, Peeves slows down and looks at him with a slow nod. He feels like he passed a test he didn't know he was taking.

"Fine," Fred acquiesces. "Oh holy poltergeist, please, teach me the secrets of being an otherworldly being so that I can use my powers to amplify the chaos in the castle."

"I'd be delighted," Peeves grins.

His lessons are unorthodox and primarily involve hurling desks at Fred and yelling at him to make them swerve, but at least the desks don't cause him any harm given that they fly right through him. He does hope Peeves doesn't manage to break another wall, though.

With Peeves' guidance, he manages to get a few of the desks to shift very slightly to the left. It's not much, but it's something, and Peeves is happy to meet with him as many times as it takes as long as Fred agrees to help him cause chaos. For a moment, he wonders if he technically should be helping to break the rules when he's sort of an employee of the school, but he never signed a contract, and he's dead anyway, so he figures it won't do any harm.

In any case, Peeves has been the most helpful teacher he's found so far, so his being-a-ghost lessons are certainly not going to be boring.

-

A few days and several desk-throwing lessons later, Fred gets his first real job. He's been given an impromptu office in the form of an empty classroom - not the same one he and Peeves practice in - and he's pledged to spend a few hours there every evening so the students who want to come to him won't have trouble finding him. It's quite dull sitting there waiting, but Fred has come to learn that being a ghost is quite often boring.

The first student to come to him is a Slytherin who introduces herself as Astoria Greengrass. He can't honestly say that he recognizes her, but she says that she remembers him and his brother, and she's a sixth year, so he supposes it makes sense.

"You said this is open to anyone, regardless of their house?"

"Yes," Fred confirms. He's always been wary of Slytherins, but McGonagall had been quite clear that repairing house unity was going to be her number one priority as Headmistress, and he'd have to be willing to work with them. They can't all be bad, he knows, but it seems he's only ever met the ones who are.

Astoria goes on to explain that the sixth years had their first Divination class earlier that day; Fred wants to ask why anyone would ever take N.E.W.T. level Divination before he remembers that everyone's been pushed back a year. There are only three Slytherins in the class, and Gryffindors vastly outnumber them. They've always had some animosity in the past, but none of the three Slytherins in it were particularly interested in slaving their lives away to Voldemort, so there hadn't been any major incidents. Today, however, Astoria says that some of the Gryffindors made horrible predictions about what would happen to the Slytherins in the class, and no one did anything to stop it.

"I know you were something of a mastermind at getting back at people, particularly Umbridge," Astoria goes on, "so I was hoping you could help me figure out the best way to get back at them that won't just make them retaliate. I don't want to start another war, but I can't just sit back and let them make predictions about my entire family being killed or given the Dementor's kiss when my parents weren't even Death Eaters."

"Even if they were, that doesn't excuse making borderline threats to you," Fred adds. He thinks about how he and George would've handled such a situation and how many months of detention they'd have landed if they were caught. He's supposed to be mature now, given that he's an adult, a school official, and a survivor of war - well, sort of. Besides, McGonagall is counting on him to help foster house unity. "I have an idea."

"Go on," Astoria says.

"They want to intimidate you with Divination, and they've already seen that Trelawney isn't going to cause any trouble over that," Fred says. "So we fight fire with fire. Use Divination to show them you're not going to take their shit. But if you don't want them to retaliate, it's best to take the high road - don't just target the ones who made the predictions."

"Target the whole class, then," Astoria nods. "Like an omen? Or a prophecy?"

"Precisely. Say that you see something urgent, an omen of misfortune, coming in everyone's near future. No one will think anything of it until near the end of class when I'll come in."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well…" Fred chuckles. "Haven't quite figured that out yet. I might get Peeves involved; he's giving me lessons in controlling objects as I'm still learning. It'll be good, though, I promise."

"Okay," Astoria shrugs. "The next class isn't for another week. Come in the room on Wednesday at 10:30; that's near the end of the class."

"I'll be there," Fred promises. It's been ages since he's had to plan anything like this, and it'll be his first time doing it without George. Even on his own, he already feels far closer to normal than he has in a while.

Technically, he's probably supposed to be consoling Astoria and telling her to ignore the bullies until they give up on her, or suggesting that she talk to Trelawney and ask her to step in. He's sure that his method is better, though.

-

The class is rightfully spooked when the room goes dark and Fred and Peeves chant some old gothic poetry in unison. He's not even sure what the poems are trying to say, but Astoria comes back to his office the next week to say that the Gryffindors have been leaving her and her friends alone, so he'd count it as a success.

-

By the time the school year ends, Fred has a pretty good handle on how to move and control objects. He's helped many students adjust to their new way of life, and he's noticed a lot more students walking in the corridors with students from other houses than at the beginning of the year. He doesn't need to stay, but he finds that he wants to.

Ron is going to start working at the shop full-time, anyway, so George doesn't need him there. He'll still help out as much as he can, but being at Hogwarts feels right. Peeves is starting to become a great friend, too, and Fred finds that he's much easier to get along with when one is simply no longer human.

"I'm going back next year," he tells George right as he floats through the wall and into the kitchen.

"I'm guessing it went well, then?"

Fred grins. "As much as I loved opening this shop, I feel like this is more the land of the living. It's been fun passing on my glorious expertise and wreaking havoc with Peeves. I wish I were wreaking havoc with you, too, but that's what the summers are for, right?"

"Of course," George laughs. "I'm sure you're not about to ask me to become a professor just so we can collaborate. You know I could never do that."

"Well, no, I'm pretty sure you need a N.E.W.T. in a subject to be able to teach it," Fred says. "At least, that's what Minnie said when I asked why she hasn't replaced Binns yet. Turns out there's almost no one who meets the requirements."

"You know," George muses after a few moments of comfortable silence, "I wonder if this is where we'd be if the world hadn't gone mad. We may not have been able to open the shop if Harry hadn't won the Triwizard Tournament, and he wouldn't have been entered if not for You-Know-Who's plan, right?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be a ghost if things had been normal," Fred adds.

"Oh, no, of course not," George says. "Just that I wonder if we'd have gone our separate ways, career-wise. Maybe we wouldn't live together at all. I guess this is growing up."

"Can I still grow up if I'm dead?" Fred asks. "Eh, doesn't matter. How has it been for you?"

George smiles at him, and he supposes that's as good a sign as any. "Honestly, better than I expected. I guess it helps to know I can still talk to you. I'm happy you're going back to Hogwarts, too; it seems like it's been very good for you."

"That's good; I'm glad," Fred says. "So when you die next century, if I haven't figured out how to move on myself yet, will you be able to move on? I don't want you to throw away your chance at the afterlife just because I made an impulsive decision, even if I don't and will never regret that decision."

George is silent for a moment, considering. "It would be hard not to be able to see the whole family, but I couldn't just leave you alone. You risked your own future so I wouldn't have to be alone in grieving you and wouldn't have to live without you."

"I don't want you to feel like you owe it to me," Fred says. "If you move on, I'll be okay. I'll keep searching until I find a way to join you, and that'll be enough to keep me going."

"We'll keep looking," George resolves. "It's all we can do for now."

-

_97 Years Later_

"You were supposed to last for at least another three years," Fred jokes once George's ghostly form materializes next to his body in the hospital room. He wasn't out for as long as Fred thinks he was following his own death. "You didn't even think about moving on, did you?"

"Nope," George shrugs. "I wasn't going anywhere without you. We've already established this. You set that precedent when you refused to die in the war, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Fred laughs. "Anyway, let's get out of here. We have work to do."

"Work as in figuring out how to move on, or…?"

"Oh, George, my dear," Fred sighs dramatically. You're at least two years away from gaining full mobility of your new form. We aren't moving on until that happens. Come on, now, we're going to meet up with Peeves."

He floats through the wall and down the corridors of St. Mungo's, pretending not to hear George yelling for him to come back and teach him how to float. Fred had to figure it out himself, so he's letting George do the same.

Eventually, he does, and they meet up at the hospital's exit.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

George rolls his eyes, and Fred has to laugh at the fact that he's already figured out how to do that but not how to move. He can be such an old man sometimes, and even if Fred knows it's because he lived a much longer life whereas Fred has been stuck at the age of 20 for nearly a century, it's much more fun to pretend it's an innate personality difference.

"What exactly are we about to do, anyway?" George asks.

Fred reaches out an arm to pat him on the shoulder, even though neither of them can feel a thing. It's one of the tricks that took him the longest to master, and now that George is a beginner ghost, he simply has to show off his prowess.

"Maybe we'll move on someday. But for now, we're going to go throw some desks."


End file.
